Seen G-FORCE yet? It's a great movie. Jerry Bruckheimer's son implored his blockbuster movie-making dad to create a movie about superhero guinea pigs, and along with the magic of Disney, we have our beloved little guinea pigs in a major summer blockbuster. Yeah, this is pretty cool. And speaking of cool? Guinea pigs ARE cool... just cool in a different way. :) I realize my banner sounds like it's putting guinea pigs down, but believe me - they rock. Just not in a super-spy way! Unfortunately, G-Force may create a backlash of unwanted guinea pigs in shelters once kids realize their new pet does not, in fact, do Super Cool Spy Things. If you are a parent with a child begging for an Agent Darwin or Blaster of his very own to play with, please say no! Guinea pigs are delicate, clumsy, and require careful handling.

Of course, the movie may also make you interested in guinea pigs as pets. If you are willing to do your homework and take care of the little animals yourself should your child(ren) become bored of them after the hype wears down, there are a few sites that will show you the basics and beyond. To start:

• Guinea pigs live, on average, 5 to 7 years.
• While they are often compared with hamsters, the care of guinea pigs is closer to that of rabbits.
• Guinea pigs need hay, pelleted feed, water, and fresh veggies every single day.
• Medical maladies common in guinea pigs include respiratory illnesses, cysts, and urinary tract issues.
• A veterinarian must be a certified exotics vet to treat guinea pigs... and many exotics vets are not familiar with guinea pigs.
• Guinea pigs pee and poop A LOT, and their cage must be kept very clean and dry.
• Guinea pigs can be .... well, stupid. :) They must be handled with care.
• Never, ever use rolling balls and exercise wheels with guinea pigs. They are NOT agile creatures.
• Guinea pigs are highly social creatures, and will get lonely if left in a cage all day. They need interaction, and lots of it.
• Boys and girls must be kept separate, in order to prevent rampant breeding.
• Some piggies are persnickety, but in general, guinea pigs love companionship with other piggies.

Here are some wonderful resources to help you learn more about guinea pigs.

We'll start right here at CavyMadness.com. This is a "Guinea Pig 101" portal site with a basic care guide, helpful messageboard, and links to wonderful online resources on guinea pigs.

GoogleNews article: "G-Force Likely to put guinea pigs atop pet list."
This is an excellent article!

GuineaLynx.info is the best guinea pig resource for medical information and expert knowledge on guinea pigs. The Forums are stocked with very knowledgeable, passionate people, and they WILL insist you do your homework before adopting a guinea pig.

The Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue (Virginia/D.C. area) has been posting the following on Craigslist. The MPGPR, like many rescues across the country, are very concerned about guinea pigs once G-FORCE creates a demand for a suddenly-cool pet.

PLEASE, PLEASE do not run out and buy or adopt a guinea pig for your children just because you think they are so cute in the G-Force movie. These are NOT REAL GUINEA PIGS. Kids are going to be screaming to get a guinea pig after they see this movie. Remember that:

If you need more information on the difference between a real guinea pig and the super duper rodentia in the G-FORCE movie, please look at http://www.mgpr.org. I have been a guinea pig rescuer for 14 years. This movie, while cute as can be, has rescuers cringing.